Oops!
by polgara-5
Summary: Buffy, Faith, and Dawn find themselves in a new world with no way home after they encounter a strange object during a routine cataloging.
1. Prologue

**Title:** Oops!

**By:** Polgara R

**Disclaimer:** I own none of the recognizable characters. They belong to their respective creators and distributors.

**Distribution: **My site – Worlds of Possibilities, Wormhole Crossing, and TtH.

**Spoilers:** Everything of Buffy is fair game. For Stargate anything up to and including season 3 is fair game.

**Setting:** Takes place three years after Chosen in BtVS. Takes place in mid-season three of Stargate SG-1. I have altered the timeline in Stargate as follows: Forever and a Day happens 3 months before Point Of View, Sha're has been dead for six months, and this fic begins a week after The Devil You Know.

**Summary**: Buffy, Faith, and Dawn find themselves in a new world with no way home after they encounter a strange object during a routine cataloging.

**A/N:** My author notes are here for a reason, please read. If you still ask questions that are answered here, I will not answer them again. Do not beg for updates, this fic will be updated every other Sunday like clockwork, nothing will change that. I repeat nothing.

A/N2: Special and huge thanks to my betas – Meri and Copper. You gals are fabulous! Prologue 

Buffy looked disinterestedly around at the various objects and artifacts that lay strewn about the large warehouse. She and the Scoobies had spent the better part of the three years following the destruction of the hellmouth on rebuilding the Watcher's Council. Lately they had been going through the various warehouses and storage units of the old council to catalogue everything.

She sighed to herself as she tried to remember why she had volunteered to help Dawn with such a boring task. Oh yeah, it was to get out of doing another boring task – paperwork. She was beginning to think that the paperwork would have been the lesser evil. At least she'd be actively doing something. Dawn had already yelled at her twice for playing with dangerous magic thingies. Her only consolation was that Faith had been yelled at as well.

XXXXXXXX

Sam Carter stared at the computer screen in her lab as it ran through the simulation. She blearily rubbed her eyes as the results flashed up in front of her. The numbers blurred and she pushed away from the desk and ran a hand through her short blonde hair.

She was well aware that figuring out the best use for the quantum mirror was a low priority, but it was a complicated problem that drew her like a moth to a flame. Involuntarily her eyes were drawn to the large rock-like artifact. The least she could do was find a way to prevent dangerous individuals from entering their reality. Not everyone who came through the mirror would be good. It was possible that those with a nefarious purpose could also unlock it's secrets.

Her stomach growled and she glanced at the clock. She was surprised to see the she had been squirreled away in her office for nearly ten hours and Col. O'Neill hadn't come in to force her to eat. He was usually very mother-hennish over his team, although he had directed most of that attention towards Daniel since Sha're's death six months earlier. But his attentions had returned to her since they had rescued her father last week.

He must have gotten caught up in something himself. Deciding to take a break, she left her lab for the commissary in search of blue Jell-O.

XXXXXXXX

"Yo, Dawn! B! Come Check this out," Faith called from one end of the warehouse. When the others reached her, she looked at the youngest Summers. "What do you think it is?"

Dawn looked at the large, rock-like thing. She circled it slowly and frowned. "It's like nothing we've seen yet." She ran her hand over the smooth surface that took up most of one side.

Already bored, Buffy turned her attention to the things on a nearby table. A strange device caught her eye. "Hey, Dawn. This looks out of place. It looks more scientificy than magicy."

Her sister walked over while Faith continued to stare at the strange object. Dawn picked up the piece Buffy indicated and ran her thumb over a blue crystal-like piece on it.

"Whoa," Faith said.

"What?" Buffy asked, looking over at her.

"The thing is doing something."

Buffy and Dawn hurried back over. The smooth surface now reflected something.

"It looks like a storage room of some sort," Dawn said. She looked down at the device in her hand. The brunette rubbed her thumb over the now glowing crystal and the image changed. "That looks like a lab."

"Any idea of what we're looking at?" Buffy asked, stepping closer.

"Could be extra storage of a mystical type or even a transport device," Dawn theorized with a shrug as she moved next to Buffy.

"Wonder how we get there," Faith said, joining them.

"I'm guessing it might have something to do with the surface," Dawn said, stepping closer. She carefully studied the object but didn't touch it.

"Let's throw something at it," Faith suggested.

"Faith! We could break it," Dawn said, giving the dark haired slayer a sour look.

"I didn't mean _throw_ throw, I meant have something touch it and see what happens," Faith said, shifting the weight on her feet.

Dawn paused to consider the suggestion. "I suppose we could. But what do we have that we don't mind losing if this doesn't work?"

"I've got a pencil," Buffy said, pulling the one out that was behind her ear.

"And I've got… nothing," Faith said as she searched her pockets. "At least, nothing I would mind losing."

"I've got an extra pen," Dawn said. She took Buffy's pencil and looked back at the object. "Well, here goes nothing."

They stood back and Dawn gently tossed the pencil at the reflective surface. When it contacted there was a brief flash of light and then it was on the other side. The three women moved closer.

"Wow, there it is," Faith said, looking at the pencil lying on the other side.

"Try your pen," Buffy urged.

Dawn repeated the process with her pen and sure enough, it could be seen on the other side with the pencil.

"Well now what?" Faith asked.

"We could touch it," Dawn said, chewing slightly on her lower lip.

"Are you sure we should?" Buffy asked. "I mean, we know our track record with this kind of stuff. Maybe we should wait."

"Ah, come on, B. Things have been slow for the past two years. We need to shake things up a bit," Faith said with a grin.

Buffy couldn't help but grin back at her. "In that case, why not? But let's do this together so we don't get separated."

The three reached out and touched the smooth surface. They felt something akin to a static shock and found themselves looking at the warehouse reflected in the object. Suddenly the picture fizzled and with a loud crack, the surface split and fractured.

"Dawnie?"

"Workin' on it." Dawn tried to activate the device again but it stubbornly remained dormant. She looked up at the two slayers. "Oops," she said with a nervous smile.


	2. Chapter One

**_Words_** indicates telepathy.

**Chapter One**

"Hey, Sam. Did you get… Oh, hello."

The three women turned around as one. In the doorway was a man with short brown hair and glasses framing blue eyes. He was wearing a black t-shirt and military issue blue cargo pants and black boots.

"Umm, hi," Buffy said with a little wave.

"Do you know where Sam went?" He asked.

Faith shook her head. "No clue where he went."

The man frowned.

"I think that was the wrong answer," Dawn whispered softly enough that only the two slayers could hear her.

"Who are you and how did you get here?" He asked, stepping into the lab.

"Would you believe me if I said we weren't sure?" Buffy asked.

"You don't know who you are?"

"Of course we know _that_. We just don't know how we got _here_."

"Before you were here you were…"

"In a warehouse," Dawn supplied. "We were doing inventory."

"Ah," the man said in understanding and he relaxed slightly. "What did you touch?"

"What makes you think we touched something?" Buffy asked. The man crossed his arms and gave her a look. "Fine. We touched a big rock thing that showed another room."

"Oh, so you came through the quantum mirror," he said excitedly.

"The quasi-what?"

"Quantum mirror."

"I guess."

"Oh hey, Daniel," said a tall blonde as she entered the lab. She was dressed similarly to the man. She stopped when she saw the three visitors. "Who are your friends?"

"I'm not sure, we were just about to introduce ourselves," he said, flashing the woman a brief smile.

"Really?" Buffy asked. "And here I thought we were getting ready to leave."

"Did you leave the controller on so you could get back?" He asked.

"Quantum mirror?" The woman asked calmly.

"Appears so."

"So you guys know how to use this thing?" Dawn asked, holding up the controller in her hand.

"We've had a little experience," the woman said. She walked over to them and held out her hand. "I'm Major Samantha Carter."

"Ah, that kind of Sam," Dawn said in sudden understanding. No wonder the man had frowned at Faith's response to his question.

Buffy warily eyed her. "I'm Buffy, this is Dawn and Faith." She peered around the Major to look at the lone man. "And you are?"

"Dr. Daniel Jackson."

"Military?"

"Uh, no. An archaeologist."

She frowned but didn't say anything.

"Can I see your controller?" The Major asked.

"Sure, Samantha," Dawn said, handing it over.

"Call me Sam," she said with a smile. "I'll also need to see the mirror behind you." Her smile turned to a look of dismay when she saw the broken surface.

"So that _wasn't_ supposed to happen," Dawn said with a sigh. "We were hoping that was normal."

"What did you do?" She asked.

"Nothing," Dawn said. "I turned it on, flipped through a few rooms, tossed a few ink pens through it, decided it was a transporty storage thing, we touched it, ended up here, and then it broke."

"Maybe you can only use it so many times," Faith suggested.

"Is that possible?" Daniel asked, coming over to view the damage.

"It could be," Sam admitted. "There's just so little we know about the device. But if its power supply was depleted it should just cease working – not break."

"Where exactly are we?" Buffy asked.

"Military base outside Colorado Springs," Daniel said, while Sam fiddled with the mirror.

"Crap," Buffy muttered. She wasn't exactly thrilled with being in another military installation. "Can we call our friends and arrange a way home?"

"I'm afraid that's not possible," Daniel said slowly.

"Why not?" Buffy demanded.

"You're not exactly in _your_ reality. This is sort of an alternate reality," he explained. "They could not know you, you could be enemies, there are all sorts of reasons why…"

Buffy looked over at Dawn. "Is that even possible we didn't even use…" She waved her hands in a vague gesture, not wanting to say magic out loud.

"I suppose," Dawn said. "There are so many dimensions out there, I guess you could call some of them alternate realities. Oh! Like that one where Cordelia went!"

"You've had experience with other realities before?" Daniel asked in faint surprise.

"A little, but we've never used this rock thing before," Buffy said.

"Then how did you travel then?" Sam asked, looking up from her analysis.

"It was usually accidental, and we couldn't recreate it," Buffy said vaguely.

Sam sighed. "We need to tell General Hammond about this. I'm not sure if I'll be able to fix this anytime soon."

"General Hammond?" Buffy asked.

"He's in charge of the base," she explained. "He'll need to set up accommodations for you until I get this fixed and you can go home."

XXXXXXXX

Buffy, Faith, and Dawn sat at a large conference table with Sam, Daniel, and the General. There was a large window on one side that was blocked on the outside by a piece of steel. On one end was a strange looking map on a piece of glass that looked into General George Hammond's office.

Buffy studied the man while Sam and Dawn explained the situation. Despite the balding man's stern exterior, his eyes reflected a kindly light as he listened. He showed Dawn the same respect as he did of his own people and Buffy felt that she could trust this man. That is, until he rendered his decision.

"We'll have three VIP rooms prepared for you. Until they're ready, I have to ask that you report to the infirmary."

"For what?" Buffy asked.

"Dr. Fraiser just needs to run a few standard tests."

"No."

"May I ask why not?"

"We're not lab rats," Buffy said firmly. "And there's no way you're injecting us with anything."

"I assure you it's just to check and see if you're carrying any disease that is unfamiliar to us and to make sure that you are vaccinated against any disease you may encounter during your stay here," the general explained.

"It's as much for you health and safety as our own," Daniel added.

Buffy exchanged long looks between Dawn and Faith. Like her, they could sense that their hosts were hiding something, but then they really had no room to talk, they had their own secrets. But it seemed that these new people were genuine in their desire to help and they didn't sense any duplicity.

Making her decision, Buffy gave a slight nod. "Fine, but just the basic stuff."

Hammond smiled. "Very well. Dr. Jackson, if you'll take them to the infirmary." He turned back to Buffy. "You'll have an escort everywhere you'll go. This is both to help ensure that you won't get lost and to keep you out of restricted areas."

"I understand," Buffy said. She wouldn't want strange people wandering around her base if she was in charge either.

XXXXXXXX

On the outside, during their trip to the infirmary and their brief stay there, the three women appeared to be silent, lost in their own thoughts. Despite being curious about their own world, Daniel didn't question them, but respected their need to come to terms with what had happened. On the inside, however, the women were deep into conversation with each other. Shortly after Sunnydale had collapsed, Buffy insisted that everyone in the Council and all the slayers learned how to speak to each other telepathically.

**_You think they were for real about that mirror thing? That it's really an alternate reality thing that is broken or is it just some new and strange way to keep us here?_** Faith asked as they navigated the grey corridors.

**_They seem to be familiar with it either way,_** Dawn said.

**_Why do you think it broke?_** Buffy asked.

**_I think it was me,_** Dawn confessed.

It took a lot of effort for Buffy to not shoot her sister a confused look. **_What do you mean? _**

**_I'm the key. I open portals to other dimensions, but I entered this one through something else. What if the mirror couldn't handle the key and that's why it broke?_**

_**Damn it. **_

_**What's wrong, B? **_

**_She's probably right and I don't think Sam will be able to fix it,_** Buffy said. **_Which means we'll have to find another way home._**

They paused their conversation as they met the Chief Medical Officer – Dr. Janet Fraiser. She was a petite woman, no taller than Buffy, and had short brown hair.

"What kind of tests are you going to do?" Buffy asked.

"Just some minor blood work to check for diseases and a quick physical," she said with a smile.

"That's it?"

"That's it. I promise it won't take long."

Buffy really wanted to protest, but she was afraid that would raise suspicion, making them believe that the women had something to hide. She just hoped that nothing strange appeared in their blood work.

While Dr. Fraiser gently poked and prodded, the three women carried on their silent conversation.

**_If that mirror thing is broke for good, how do we get back?_** Faith asked.

**_I think we should find us in this reality. They'll have resources that we can use to get back home,_** Dawn said.

**_You think this world's us's will help?_** Faith asked**_. Wouldn't they freak?_**

Once again Buffy had to control her impulses to not shoot a withering look at her friend. **_They're us. They're used to stranger things._**

_**Right. **_

"There you go, all finished," Dr. Fraiser said, unknowingly cutting in on their conversation.

"That's it?" Buffy asked in surprise.

"That's it," she replied with a smile.

"Cool. So can we get out of here? No offense, but I don't like hospitals," Buffy said.

Janet laughed. "No offense taken. Most people don't like them."

An airman stepped in and said, "Dr. Jackson, General Hammond would like to speak with the guests again."

Daniel frowned slightly and said, "We'll be right there."

Buffy, Faith, and Dawn looked at each other in dread. They had a bad feeling about this meeting.

XXXXXXXXX

"We have some good news," General Hammond said once they were all seated at the conference table.

"Sam got the quantum mirror fixed?" Dawn asked hopefully.

"Not quite," he answered. "Major, if you'll explain."

"One of our concerns about allowing you to contact your friends in this reality has to do with entropic cascade failure."

"That doesn't sound pretty," Buffy said with a grimace.

"It's not," Sam said. "It's a temporal distortion caused by having two similar bodies in the same dimension. The closer the proximity, the sooner it happens. It causes a breakdown at the cellular level in the one from the other reality."

"Speaking from experience there?" Buffy asked.

"Three months ago my counterpart came through the mirror. Within forty-eight hours she was suffering from tremors," Sam said.

"So if we visit our friends, we would end up the same way," Dawn said in understanding.

"Yes. The good news is, you've never existed in this reality," she said with a smile. As she took in their suddenly pale faces, she asked, "What's wrong?"

"Can we find out about our friends?" Buffy asked. "We were hoping to contact them because they may have research materials to help us get home."

"What kind of materials?" Daniel asked.

"Books mostly," Buffy said. "So can we find them?"

"I can try. If you'll give me a list," Sam said.

"Rupert Giles – he's from London, Alexander Harris, Willow Rosenberg, and Wesley Wyndam-Pryce – he's also from England." Buffy looked at Dawn and Faith. "Anyone else?"

"Try the Royal Watcher's Council in England if you can't find the others or even The New Watcher's Council in Cleveland," Dawn added.

**_What about Shae, the head of the Wiccan Coven in Devon?_** Buffy suggested.

"And Shae Conely in Devon, England," Dawn said.

Sam nodded and left the room.

"It appears that you've had experiences with the more unusual side of life," Hammond said after a few minutes of silence.

Buffy shrugged. "You could almost say it was a calling."

"What exactly do you do in your world?" He asked.

"Run a boarding school for girls," Dawn answered.

"And that puts you in contact with strange occurrences in other realities?" Daniel asked, his eyebrows halfway up his forehead.

"More often than you'd think," Buffy muttered.

"Aren't you a little young to run a boarding school?" Daniel asked.

"And don't you think we find it strange that an archaeologist is working for the military? The Air Force no less," Buffy shot back. "What exactly do _you_ do here?"

"That's classified," Hammond said.

Sam paused slightly as she entered the tense room. "Neither the people or the organization exist," she said, sitting back down at the table.

"Damn it," Buffy said.

"Oh fuck."

"We're in trouble," Dawn said, slumping back in her seat.

"How so?" Daniel asked.

"We're stuck here with no way home," Buffy said, her lips in a thin line.

"Given time, I am confident that Major Carter will be able to repair the quantum mirror," Hammond tried to assure them.

"Nope, Dawnie already knows how it broke and we're pretty sure it's not fixable."

"How is that possible? I've been with you the entire time and you've never discussed it," Daniel said in shock.

"Are you sure about that?" Faith asked him with a smirk.

"Yes."

**_Should we tell them?_** Dawn asked.

**_Might as well. I think they're our only way back home so we'll need their help,_** Buffy said. Out loud she said, "We have some important stuff to tell you, but I only want to explain this once. Do you have anyone else who should hear this?"

Hammond nodded. "Let me call them."

"Might want to make sure the Doc is on the list."

"Faith!" Buffy protested.

"She'll probably find out anyways," the dark-haired slayer said. "Might as well prepare her."

"Fine, call Dr. Fraiser as well," Buffy said sullenly.


	3. Chapter Two

A/N: Because this seemed to be on many of the reviewers mind, I thought I'd post this rather than repeatedly respond to the same review. This is in regards to what Buffy, Faith, and Dawn are about to reveal in this chapter and the speed in which they decided to do this. 

First, Buffy has revealed the truth about her nature many times. Hell, she told Willow and Xander by their fifth conversation. She's told many people, granted those were all under unusual circumstances. I think finding oneself in an alternate dimension without being able to contact any of your usual help classifies as an unusual circumstance.

Second, no, they won't reveal everything because that's also not their style. They will reveal just what is needed.

Third, you need to trust me as the author to do the right thing. If this is beyond your capability then maybe you should stop reading this fic. It's not going to hurt my feelings, I work in a highly subjective field so criticism is part of my daily life. I'm far ahead on writing this fic than you are in reading it. I'm currently halfway through writing chapter seven and they still have no clue that Dawn is the Key. So relax.

Pol

Chapter Two 

"Recruiting them a little young aren't we, General," a tall man with grey hair said, sauntering into the briefing room.

"Ladies, this is Colonel Jack O'Neill," Hammond said, ignoring the other man's remark. "Colonel, this is Buffy and Dawn Summers, and Faith."

"No last name like Cher?" Jack asked.

"Stopped using it years ago," Faith replied easily.

"So what's goin' on?" Jack asked, turning back to the general.

"I'll explain when the others arrive."

Jack looked at him in slight confusion, but didn't say anything. He took a seat next to Sam, and across from the newcomers. The youngest, Dawn, sat between Buffy and Faith. He got the brief impression that they were almost like bodyguards, but quickly dismissed it.

Everyone sat in uncomfortable silence until Dr. Fraiser entered. "You called for me, sir?"

"Our guests asked for you to be here while they explain a few things," he said. "How are their tests going?"

"So far they seem to be in perfect health. I just started an analysis of their blood work," she said with a small smile. "I haven't found any anomalies."

The fact that the three young women looked relieved at that comment did not escape Jack's attention. He was about to make a remark about it when Buffy and Faith jumped up so quickly that it caused their chairs to fall back. They fell into a fighting stance.

"Whoa! Easy there," Jack said, standing as well. "Nobody's gonna hurt ya."

"Oh yeah? Then who's that?" Buffy asked, indicating a large bald, black man that had just walked in. A gold tattoo gleamed from his forehead.

"Him? That's Teal'c. He's a good guy."

"Doesn't feel like one," Faith said.  
"Excuse me?"

"Definitely not human," Buffy agreed, her body filled with tension.

"Of course he's not, he's Jaffa," Sam said in confusion.

"He's coffee?"

"Not java, Jaffa," Daniel clarified. He too seemed confused.

Buffy glanced over at Faith and Dawn. "That mean anything to either of you?"

"Not ringing any bells here," Faith said, her eyes never leaving Teal'c. He had not moved since they had jumped up.

"I've got nothing," Dawn agreed. At some point in time, she had stood up and taken position behind the two slayers.

"You've never heard of the Jaffa?" Daniel asked.

"Nope."

"How is that possible? I mean you've obviously used the stargate in order to retrieve the mirror."

"Stargate?"

"The Chaapa'ai then," Daniel suggested.

"We're still not following you."

Jack looked at the general. "Sir… What is going on?"

"Approximately two hours ago, these three ladies stepped through the quantum mirror and into our reality."

"Oh for cryin' out loud! Another alternate, alternate reality?" Jack asked in exasperation. "I thought you ordered the destruction of that thing."

"Major Carter convinced me otherwise," Hammond said. "She was concerned about the fact that the mirror is made up of naquadah. She feared a rather catastrophic effect due to the explosive nature of the element."

"Hello, people!" Buffy said, her body still tense. "We were talking about this guy who feels evil."

"Wait a minute! How can you feel that?" Jack asked.

"That was _going_ to be part of the explanation thingy," Buffy said. "But not until you explain him."

Dawn placed a hand on Buffy's arm. "Why don't you and Faith sit down first? They obviously know he's different, and maybe we should trust them."

"But…"

"We don't know everything, Buffy. For all we know, Teal'c has switched sides from evil to good. It's not unheard of. Remember how many times we had to explain Angel, Spike, and Anya?"

Some of the tension left Buffy's body but she didn't move. "Dawn, these people could _be_ the bad guys. We're in another reality. Who knows how mixed up things are here."

"We have to trust them, at least for now. If they _are_ evil, then you can kill them."

The others flinched slightly at Dawn's calm statement. Then they paled slightly when Faith replied, "Always wanted to wear a ribcage for a hat."

Buffy frowned at her. "You know that's my special threat for Whistler."

"Sorry, B."

Dawn looked at the others and smiled sweetly, although it didn't reach her cold eyes. "We expect just as many answers from you in exchange for our information. And believe me when I tell you that should we find ourselves on opposite sides of the line, you will not be able to hold us here against our will."

Faith snickered. "Damn B, she keeps getting scarier."

Ordinarily, Jack would have scoffed at the idea of being scared of someone who barely looked to be out of high school, but that was before he had met Dawn Summers. Something swam in her serious blue eyes that told him to believe her. Something that spoke of a hardness that shouldn't be present in one so young. He looked up at her protectors and saw the same look, only darker, mirrored in their own.

"General," he said softly.

"Of course, Miss Summers. But be advised, if we deem you dangerous to the American populace…"

"It's not them who will be in danger," Buffy said, righting her chair. "Just you guys."

Hammond frowned at her comment, but was relieved to see that the hostilities had been averted. At least, it had been for the moment. He gestured for Teal'c to enter and he did one last round of introductions. Once everyone was seated, he said, "I believe you were going to explain why you think the mirror is broken beyond repair."

"It's broken?" Jack asked in surprise. At the General's disapproving look, he said, "Sorry, sir. Please, explain away."

"Go for it, Little D," Faith said with a smirk. "This _is_ what we pay ya for."

Dawn sent her a withering look, before beginning. "Before I tell you about the mirror, you need some background info on us so you'll understand what I talk about later. And no matter how crazy this will sound, it's the honest truth.

"Since our organization doesn't exist here, I'm gonna guess that there are some major differences between your reality and ours."

"Such as?" Sam prompted.

"In our world, the things that go bump in the night are real. Everything from vampires to werewolves to demons…"

"Oh please," Jack interrupted. "Are you trying to tell us that Dracula is real?"

"Unfortunately, yeah," Buffy said with a grimace. "I think he still owes Spike money."

"You're joking, right?" Daniel asked. His eyes widened when Buffy showed him the scars on her neck. "You've been bitten?"

"Three times," she said, sliding her shirt back into place.

"Most people in our world don't know about them, though. They still think they are creatures of legend or myth, and it's safer that way," Dawn said, taking advantage everyone's stunned silence.

"But obviously you do," Daniel said, finding his voice again.

"Only because we were forced into it," she replied. "Into each generation a slayer is born. One girl in all the world, a Chosen One. One born with the strength and skill to fight the vampires, to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their numbers."

"Giles would be so proud," Buffy said dryly.

"And which one of you is the slayer?" Daniel asked, his mind quickly putting everything together.

"Buffy and Faith are both slayers."

"But I thought there was only one," Sam said. "You clearly said: Chosen One."

"I drowned and was legally dead for a few minutes," Buffy said nonchalantly.

"You drowned?" Dr. Fraiser asked.

"I got better," Buffy said with a roll of her eyes.

Jack snorted.

"At least someone has a sense of humor," she said, her eyes shining slightly.

"Now, there's a lot of not-so-boring details that we're not going to share 'cause you don't need to know," Dawn said, trying to steer them back on topic. "But Buffy and Faith are technically magic creatures because of the mystical part of their calling. I'm a witch so I also have mystical energy surrounding me." She stayed far away from her true nature. There was no reason for them to know it.  
"And you think this mystical energy is what broke the mirror?" Sam asked slowly.

"I think so, yes. We've experienced other realities and dimensions before, but only through portals created by magic. I think the mixture of magic and science probably overloaded it."

"So use a portal to go home," Jack said.

Faith rolled her eyes. "Don't you think we'd have done that already if we could and avoid this?"  
"I don't know how to open a portal," Dawn confessed.

"But you said…"

"They were either accidents, caused by some evil bad guy, or our friend Willow opened them," Buffy explained.

"Could they, I mean, could Willow open one here and…"

"Not if she doesn't know where we are," Dawn said. "There are too many possibilities."

"An infinite number," Sam said apologetically.

"Was it your slayer abilities that allowed you to sense that I am not fully human?" Teal'c asked, speaking up for the first time.

"Yeah," Faith said, eyeing him warily. "What exactly is a Jaffa?"

"We were bred to incubate larva Goa'uld until they have matured enough to take a host. We are also the false god's personal army."

"And Goa'uld is?"

"Do the Goa'uld not exist in your reality?" Hammond asked.

"Don't know, I've never heard of them," Buffy said. "But that doesn't mean anything. I don't know the names of all the demons."

"But they aren't demons, they're aliens," Jack said.

"Aliens?" Buffy asked. She wearily rubbed her eyes. "And yet, I'm not shocked."

"Wait a minute," Daniel said. "Where did you find your mirror?"

Dawn sighed, another long story. "We found it in one of the company's warehouses. All of the records had been destroyed and we were cataloging everything in storage."

"There didn't happen to be a large ring with strange glyphs on it nearby?"   
"Nope. Mirror was the biggest thing," Dawn said.

"Now you know our secret, what's yours?" Buffy asked with an expectant look.

"This is a highly classified facility," Hammond began.

"I've been cleared before. Besides, we don't exist here, so who are we going to tell?" Buffy asked impatiently. "The newspapers? We have no backgrounds so they won't believe us."

"General," Dawn said calmly. "We're probably going to be here for a while. Because of differences in our realities it's probably safer for us to stay here where you are aware of our unique 'situation'. But we can only stay if the trust goes both ways."

"Could you give us a few minutes to discuss the matter?" Hammond asked.

"Sure."

Hammond and the others got up and went into his office. They shut the door and the three women found themselves alone with their guards.

"Think they'll tell us?" Buffy asked.

"After Little D's logic guilt trip they'd be crazy not to."

"When did you get so good at negotiating?" Buffy asked, looking at her sister in faint surprise.

"Had to do something about all of the slayers' raging hormones. I wasn't strong enough to break up the fights physically so I had to come up with a new way."

"Let's hope it worked this time," Buffy said with a sigh.

XXXXXXXX

"What do you think?" Hammond asked his frontline team once they were alone.

"I personally think it's a load of crap, sir," Jack said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean, come on. Do they really expect us to believe that vampires are real and they were 'chosen' to fight them?"

"But they were aware of my symbiote," Teal'c pointed out.

"Doesn't mean a thing. They could be NID spies or something," Jack argued. "Which means they already knew."

"I don't think so, Jack," Daniel said. "They seemed to be genuinely confused about all of this."

George looked over at Dr. Fraiser. "Did any of your tests indicate that what they say is possible?"

"I noticed some unusual scars on all of them, but other than that, no. But if they are mystical then my tests may not detect anything."

"Are there any other tests you could run?"

"I can test for speed and strength, but other than that, no."

"But is what they are saying possible?"

"It could be, sir," Carter said. "All it would take was a slight change millions of years ago in their reality for this to happen. The possibilities are endless."

"I think we should tell them about the Stargate."

Five heads turned to look at Daniel in surprise.

"Dawn was right," he said. "Trust is a two way street. Besides, I have a feeling they'd be able to find out about it whether we told them or not."

"Daniel…"

"No, Jack. They issued a lot of faith in telling us about themselves. We've already let enough slip that they are _very_ curious."

"Damage control," Jack said with a nod, seeing, for once, where Daniel was headed.

"Very well," Hammond said. "But we'll keep a guard detail with them and in the meantime run their fingerprints through the database to see if these names are aliases."

They filed back into the briefing room and retook their seats. The three young women looked at them expectantly.

"Dr. Jackson, if you will," Hammond said.

Daniel smiled and adjusted his glasses. "Our story begins in Giza in 1928…"


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

The next morning Dawn nervously knocked on Major Carter's lab door. "Hi, can I come in?"

"Sure," Sam said, looking up from her computer.

Dawn looked around as she entered while her military escort stood just outside the door. "Wow, you've got a lot of equipment in here."

"It's because I never know what I'm going to need so I like to keep things handy."

"I'm the same way with my books," Dawn confessed sheepishly.

"Are you ready to start?"

"Crash course in quantum physics, check," Dawn said in trepidation.

Sam chuckled. "It's not _that_ hard."

"Says you. You're a genius, at least, according to Jack. I'm not an idiot, but this was always Willow's area."

"You'll be fine," Sam assured her.

"So how does this mirror work, or at least used to work?" Dawn asked, standing next to it.

The tall blonde moved so she was next to her. "I'm not entirely sure, but I have some theories."

"Theorize away."

"Well, we know it's made of naquadah, a mineral with some amazing properties. It's able to store large amounts of energy."

"Stargate is made of it, right?" Dawn asked.

"Yes. And through the stargate, we know that naquadah can release this energy. In the stargate's case, it creates a wormhole between two gates, allowing matter to travel from one place to another."

Dawn nodded and said, "The mirror sort of does that, too. Minus the whole wormhole thing. I mean there has to be a second one to connect to in order for the transference of matter."

"I told you that you'd be fine."

"Because you're explaining it in dummy terms."

Sam grinned. "Experience. The Colonel doesn't understand the terms so I've learned how to couch my language."

Dawn giggled. "We do the same for Buffy and Faith. So where does the mirror get the energy?"

"That's the part I don't know. I think it has something to do with the controller because that's what activates it."

"Why didn't you just test yours?"

"We don't have one. Daniel lost the contoller in another reality," Sam explained.

"That sucks," Dawn commented. "Know anything else about the mirror?"

"Nope, that's it," she said apologetically. "Did that help you at all?"

"Just that we'll probably need a lot of energy to get back home," Dawn said with a sigh, turning away from the current cause of her misery.

"Miss your family and friends?"

"Buffy is really the only family I have left. Mom died over five years ago and we haven't heard from dad since before that. But we have a group of friends that are as close as family."

"You'll see them again."

"Yeah, I know. I just don't know when."

XXXXXXXX

"So whaddaya think, B?" Faith asked as they entered an empty sparring room. Their guards stayed outside the door.

"I think we've strayed into the world of the freakishly tall," Buffy remarked dryly. "Have you noticed that everyone is over six feet here?"

"The doc ain't tall," Faith pointed out.

"True. She makes me feel tall."

As the two started stretching, Faith said, "But the men are total hotties."

"What?"

"Oh, come on, B. Don't tell me that you don't think the men of SG-1 aren't hot as hell."

"Well…"

"B, no holdin' back," Faith said teasingly. "Teal'c is damn near a god with that body, Jack has that sexy mature thing goin' for him, and Daniel… Daniel is just baby sweet fine."

"I may have noticed… a little," Buffy admitted.

"You had to have done more than noticed. It has been quite a while for you."

Buffy's eyes lost their humor. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that you haven't exactly been playing the field," Faith said.

"Sorry if I'm not like you. Sleeping with anything that moves after the man you love dies," Buffy said a little testily. She hadn't been actively searching for a boyfriend since she had heard of Angel and Spike's death in LA. It had been even more of a shock since she hadn't even known that Spike had returned from the dead.

Faith straightened, her eyes hard. "B, that's not fair. You know we handle this shit differently."

"Whatever," Buffy said, resuming her own stretching. She knew it had been wrong of her to mention Robin. He had been the first man Faith had ever loved and he had been killed during a routine patrol six months earlier. Faith still hadn't healed from the loss and Buffy knew it. Things just hadn't been easy for her either.

As a peace offering, Buffy said, "They're definitely easy on the eyes."

"Understatement much? They're totally fuc…"

"Ok, upper level hotties," Buffy said grinning. "So which one are you gunning for first?"

"I'm hurt. I don't gun."

"Which one gets to visit Faithland first, then?"

"Not sure." Faith looked over at her sister slayer. "Which one would you prefer?"

"Faith, I'm not sure…"

"B, I'm not tellin' ya to go for him. Just which one you would choose if you had a chance."

"Fine, based on initial impressions, I'd have to say Colonel O'Neill."

"Wow, really?" Faith said in surprise, then hastily added, "I get it. I'm sure he's got loads of experience in the bed department. He just didn't seem like you type."

Buffy shrugged as she stood. "Just something about him. I dunno. You asked, I told. You ready?"

"Ready," Faith said, standing and moving into a fighting stance.

XXXXXXXX

Dawn stood in the doorway and said, "Dr. Jackson."

He looked up in surprise. "Dawn. I thought you were going to work with Sam this morning?"

"Been there, finished up," she said. "Can I ask you a few questions?"

"Sure, come on in," he said.

"Am I interrupting something?" She asked, gesturing to the books, papers, and pictures of ruins strewn across his desk.

"Not really, just working on some translations," he said. "What did you need?"

"I figured you would be the one to ask about this since you're archaeology boy," she said, climbing up on a stool across from him. "I'm guessing that your past has stories and myths about witches and magic."

"Each culture has some form of the legends, yes," he said.

"Have you ever come across any that seemed to have a more detailed account or even similarities between cultures?"

"A few, yes."

"Could you give me a list of them so I can start some research?"

"Sure," he said with a smile. "Anything else?"

"Does the Wiccan religion exist in this reality?"

Daniel frowned slightly. "I believe so, yes."

"Sweet. Thanks, Dr. Jackson."

"Please, call me Daniel."

"Okay… Daniel," she said goofily. She leaned over to look at his work. "Looks like Sumerian. Where did you find this?"

"On the planet PX4-932," he said. "You can read Sumerian?"

"Yeah, learned it a while back," she said absently, picking up one of the pictures. She rolled her eyes slightly.

"What?"  
"It's a prayer to the goddess Ninkasi."

"Isn't she…"

"Alcohol, yup. This section was written by a lush," she said with a giggle.

"Jack will love that."

"Huh?"

"A temple dedicated to beer. He might finally find these 'rocks' interesting."

"I take it he likes his beer."

He smirked. "It's almost like a religion for him."

XXXXXXXX

"How long do you think it'll take Little D to get us back home?" Faith asked, ducking under Buffy's swing.

"Dunno," Buffy replied, blocking Faith's kick to her midsection. "She's always been a little hesitant about using magic because of Willow."

Faith tried a combo of kicks and punches. The last one connected, knocking Buffy back a few steps. "Too bad Red ain't here."

"Dawn will figure it out," Buffy said, landing a punch.

"'Cause she inherited the brains with the height," Faith said with a smirk.

"I know, the brat."

Both slayers stopped and turned to the door. They relaxed when they recognized Teal'c.

"Hey, T," Faith said. "Wanna join?"

"We're sparring," Buffy explained.

"I do not wish to harm either of you."

"Trust me, we can take whatever you dish," Faith assured him.

"Dish?"

"Whatever you throw at us," Buffy clarified. "Slayers were built tougher than normal humans."

"As are Jaffa," Teal'c said.

"Sweet, should be fun then," Faith said.

"Very well. I accept your invitation to spar."

None of them saw a young lieutenant sprinting off to inform the rest of the base.

XXXXXXXX

Jack just stepped out of the General's office when Sam stopped him.

"Sir, you need to follow me."

"What's goin' on?"

"Teal'c is sparring with Buffy and Faith."

"Are they crazy?" Jack started running down the halls. He skidded to a stop outside of the now crowded room. He shoved his way to the front fully intending to put a stop the sparring, but stopped as he took everything in.

Buffy and Faith were taking turns attacking Teal'c. It was plainly obvious that they knew what they were doing. Their deceptively slim frames clearly packed a lot of power since they were able to knock Teal'c back when they landed punches or kicks.

They had radically different styles. Faith seemed to fight with a reckless abandon, but Jack could see the control she used. Buffy switched disciplines more times than he could count and she appeared to be more calculating in her approach.

"I've never seen anything like it," Carter said in a hushed voice. "I've never seen anyone go up against Teal'c like that before."

"Me either," Jack murmured, his eyes never leaving the two women that were the center of attention.

Irritatingly enough, as much as he tried to watch both women, his attention was continually drawn to Buffy. He had the same problem during the meeting the previous day. Something about her pulled at something deep in him. It was annoying as hell.

She could only be half his age – way too young to have an old colonel like himself chasing her. She deserved someone full of light to counteract the darkness that was hidden behind those hazel eyes. And he was certainly not the one since he contained the same darkness he had seen flashes of the day before.

"Buffy Summers, do not feel as though you need to hold back," Teal'c said, blocking another punch. "I can handle what you dish."

Jack blinked slightly at Teal'c's correct use of slang. He wondered where his friend had learned it, but one glance at Faith's grin was explanation enough.

"Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you."

"My symbiote will repair any damage you may inflict," he assured her.

Buffy looked over at Faith who just shrugged her shoulder. "Ok," she said slowly. She looked over at Jack and said, "Remember, he's the one who wanted me to do this."

She turned back to her opponent. Even with what he had seen so far, Jack had a hard time believing she could take Teal'c down. He was over a foot taller than her and outweighed her by a good hundred and fifty pounds. So when she began moving even faster and more of her punches and kicks connected, he was startled.

Even more startling was the smile on Teal'c's face as he increased his efforts to keep up with Buffy.

"Hot damn, B!" Faith crowed. "The boy can fight!"

Jack almost stepped in to stop it several minutes later when Teal'c punched Buffy so hard in the face that she spun around. However, she used the momentum to spin herself around and kick him squarely in the chest. He went flying across the room until he hit the wall.

"Oh my gosh!" She cried, running over to where he landed. "I'm so sorry. Are you ok?"

"I am unharmed," Teal'c said, accepting her helping hand up. "You are both most skilled fighters, Buffy Summers and Faith."

"Thanks, you're not too bad yourself," Buffy said with a slight blush. She was barely breathing hard despite the amount of exertion she had just displayed.

"I think you kids have had enough fun for one day," Jack said, before turning his attention to everyone who had gathered to watch. "Don't you people have jobs to do?"

Everyone quickly filed out with slightly guilty looks on their faces.

"I need a shower, yo," Faith said. She grinned saucily at Teal'c. "I don't know where those are."

"I will take you to them," he said.

"Are they coed?"

"They are not," he said as they walked out.

"Wanna make 'em so?" She asked as they disappeared.

Buffy looked over at Jack and Sam who were the only ones left in the room. "He's got no idea what she's offering does her?"

"I'll go and…" Sam said, before hastily leaving.

"Teal'c married?"

"Yeah. Has a son, too," Jack said. "She going to accept that and stop?"

"Old Faith, no. But this new Faith… She'll back off," Buffy said confidently.

"Old Faith?"

"She had… issues in the past. She's over them… mostly."

"That's not reassuring."

"You're just jealous she's not hitting on you," she said with a laugh as she headed to the door.

"Hey! That's not…"

"And she won't, so don't worry."

"Why not?" He asked, suddenly offended. He reached the door before her, his longer legs giving him an advantage.

"'Cause I called dibs," she said impishly before slipping out of the room.

Jack just stared after her in shock.


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Major General George Hammond looked up from his paperwork when Buffy entered his office and shut the door behind her. The two weeks that their three visitors had been on his base had passed quickly. They took everything calmly in stride and did not try to interfere with base operations.

They appeared to spend most of their time researching a way home. It seemed that they would be with them for a while since they had not found a single lead yet.

Not that he was unhappy about that. The three young women had brought a breath of fresh air to the base. Laughter seemed to follow them, something which was precious these days since Apophis was once again regaining power. Thankfully, he was too busy conquering his rivals' worlds rather than attacking Earth.

The laughter aside, George truly liked and trusted the three women. Trusted them enough that when there was even no fingerprint evidence on them, he allowed them to roam the base without an escort. They knew which parts they were still restricted from and stayed away from them. From what he had gathered about their life back home, they respected the rules because they understood the need for secrecy and security. He had no misgivings, however, about whether they'd break those rules if they felt threatened or believed that their help was needed.

With those thoughts in mind he asked, "How can I help you, Miss Summers?"

"I don't want you to think that we don't appreciate everything you've done for us," she said quickly. "You know, with the shelter, the food, and the help and all."

"But?"

"You said we weren't prisoners."

"You're not," he said confused.

"We've been here two weeks. Two weeks inside this base," she said. "You do know that there are no windows here, right?"

George smiled as he realized what she was talking about. "You're free to go topside whenever you wish. Your I.D.'s will get you back in the mountain."

Buffy sighed. "It's more than that. We need… Well, we want… It's just."

"Miss Summers, you can ask for anything."

"We want to go off the base."

"Excuse me?"

"Go off-base. Do normal girl-stuff like window shopping, being around others who aren't military," she said, trailing off uncertainly.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that."

"Why not?" She asked, a slight pout forming on her lips

"Thus far we have been able to protect you from a section of our government called the NID. I have kept your true identity secret in order to do this, but I can't ensure your safety if you leave this base."

"General, we know what it's like to be in danger," Buffy said with a roll of her eyes. "We can protect ourselves."

"These aren't demons that you'll be able to sense. They are human beings with a nasty agenda who will employ any means necessary to take you into their custody."

"But we're going stir crazy. We need a night out away from this base," Buffy cried.

After a moment, he said, "I'll allow it only if you'll go with an escort. They'll be in civilian garb so as to not draw attention."

"Can it be SG-1?"

"Why?"

"I like annoying Jack and he'll absolutely hate this."

George allowed a small smile to appear on his lips. Buffy seemed to take special delight in teasing his second in command. Barely a day went by that Jack wasn't in his office complaining about it. He found it gratifying to know that Jack may have met his match. "Consider it done," he replied.

"Yes!" She said, jumping out of her chair and running out the door. Only to pop her head back in a few seconds later. "Thank you."

"You're quite welcome," he replied with a chuckle before returning to his paperwork.

XXXXXXXX

Jack dropped his head onto his folded arms that rested on the table. General Hammond had graciously allotted money to the women for their trip off base and they had taken advantage of it. He never knew that shopping was a sport for women. Sara had never been this crazy about it. But Buffy, Faith, and Dawn seemed to take it to new heights. What was scarier was they claimed that an old friend of theirs was the true power shopper.

He raised his head and looked around at the numerous bags that surrounded them "I don't understand why you needed so many shoes."

"Because they're shoes," Buffy said with a snort.

"That's not a reason," Jack argued. "I own three pairs – sneakers, dress shoes, and my combat boots. Those are the essentials."

"We only bought the essentials," Dawn said.

"You each bought six pairs!"

"And they're all essential. Each shoe serves a very specific purpose. We got everyday shoes, work shoes, boots, the comfy flip-flops, and the all important strappy heel to go with The Dress."

"The Dress?" Daniel asked, jumping into the conversation.

"Oops," Buffy said, her expression akin to a deer caught in headlights. "Didn't mean to say that out loud. Can't tell you anything more."

"Carter, do you understand any of this?" Jack asked, looking over at her. He caught the sheepish look on her face. "You do?"

"Sorry, sir. It's a girl thing," she replied.

"Oh, for cryin' out loud."

Faith just grinned at him before looking at Buffy. "So where to next? I think we've finished up here."

Buffy took a drink of her iced mochaccino. "We need to go to Sam's house."

"My house?" Sam asked in surprise. "Why?"

"To change, of course."

"For what?"

"To go out," Buffy said simply.

"Go out where?" Jack asked suspiciously. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like this.

"Clubbing," Buffy said slowly. She didn't know why they were surprised by this.

"Hammond just said to take you out," Jack said hotly. "We did. You've been shopping. Time to go back to the base."

"Oh, huh uh," Dawn said. "Part of the deal was clubbing. We need it, trust me. If we go much longer you'll have three crazed women on your hands."

"She's right. We ain't askin' for much . Just the chance to release some steam."

"Is that not why we spar?" Teal'c asked.

"Partially," Buffy said. "But that's just to burn off our extra energy we have from being slayers. This is more of a, a…"

"Sexual release," Faith supplied.

Buffy shoved her slightly. "No, but close."

"I still don't get it," Daniel said, looking at the three women a slight blush on his cheeks.

"You will later, trust me."

XXXXXXXX

Daniel watched the sea of bodies move to the music from his seat at the bar. He had never fit in with this type of crowd in college and he sure as hell didn't fit in now, despite the women's efforts. They had made a quick stop at both his and Jack's places to make sure they were 'appropriately' dressed.

Buffy had found the oldest, most worn pair of jeans he owned at the bottom of a drawer. They were soft and hugged his body. Dawn found a similarly old blue t-shirt for him to wear. He had beefed up some since the last time he had worn it and so it felt clingy. He had been highly self-conscious about it, but Sam assured him that he looked fine. And judging by some of the looks he had been receiving she was more than right. Of course, it only served to make him even more nervous.

He looked over to see how Jack was handling things. At outward appearance, he looked very relaxed leaning against the bar with a Guinness in his hand. But Daniel could see that Jack was keeping an eye on both the exits and their charges.

Daniel decided that Jack had been the lucky one in the clothing department. His khakis and button down shirt were loose fitting, but he still managed to look stylish. He would smile rakishly at every young woman who checked him out. It never deterred him from his true job, though.

"Daniel Jackson, why have you not joined the dancing?" Teal'c asked, returning from his sweep of the club.

"Why haven't you?" He replied a little sourly.

"I already have. Faith insisted on one dance."

Jack looked over at him and asked. "How was it?"

"A most unusual experience. The song had an evil beat," the large man said loudly over the noise.

"Wicked beat, Teal'c. Wicked," Jack corrected with a grin before taking a drink of his beer.

"Why have neither of you joined them?" Teal'c asked.

"I, uh, can't dance," Daniel confessed.

"I can, I just don't," Jack said shortly.

Teal'c looked at Daniel. "Buffy Summers informed me that you would say that and asked me to assure you that it would not be a hindrance."

"She did?"

"I believe her exact words were – 'Tell book boy to come play and I will not take no for an answer.'" Teal'c said, the corner of his mouth curling very slightly.

Daniel sent Jack a pleading look. "Maybe I should find Sam."

"Sure, she's out there dancing with them," Jack said with a grin. He gave the archaeologist a push towards the dance floor. "Go on and play. You need to release some…."

"Don't you dare say it, Jack," Daniel said with a glare, which only caused Jack's grin to get bigger.

"They are waiting," Teal'c reminded him.

He clenched his teeth together and waded into the sea of bodies toward Sam and the other three women. He could do this. All he had to do was convince himself that this was just a ritual to do to ensure a friendship with a new civilization.

One look at his destination quickly banished that thought. While Sam had dressed in a simple, flowing skirt and top, and was even dancing fairly conservatively, the same could not be said about their visitors. They were dressed in clothing that was so tight it could have been painted on and revealed a lot of skin. As for the dancing, well, it seemed that they more undulated to the music rather than any sort of dancing he had seen.

Realizing that this was a mistake, he turned to leave by was stopped by Dawn's firm grip on his arm. She pulled him into their group and looked helplessly down at her. "I don't know how to dance," he said.

"Not a prob," she said with a brilliant smile. "We'll show you how."

He apprehensively looked around at everyone on the dance floor. "But…"

"They don't matter," she said firmly. She stepped up close to him and wrapped her arms around him. In his ear, she explained. "Dancing should never be about them, but about you. Close your eyes and feel the music. Let it show you how to move."

He pulled back and looked at her in disbelief.

"Trust me," she said.

With a sigh, he closed his eyes and tuned his senses to the music. After a moment, he understood what Dawn had been saying. He could feel the music in his body. The rhythm began pulsing through is veins and something inside him released.

"See, wasn't so hard," Dawn said.

He opened his eyes and was startled to realize that he was dancing. Sure, his movements weren't as graceful as theirs, but he was moving to the beat. A flush crept up his neck as Faith pressed against his back. But he finally saw why they had said they needed this. It was liberating.

XXXXXXXX

"Well, Danny-boy, I must say I'm impressed," Jack said, slapping his shoulder as they walked to their vehicle they had borrowed from the base. "I never knew you had it in you."

"What?" Daniel asked, enjoying the cool air compared to the heat inside.

"Just didn't pin you as the dancer type."

"I'm not," he said. Trying to divert the attention away from himself, he said, "Sam was out there more than I was."

"What's that supposed to mean, Daniel?" She asked in mock hurt.

"Nothing, just you…" He gave up, recognizing the teasing look in her eye.

"Don't worry," Buffy said. "Next time Jack will join us."

"Oh, I don't think so," Jack protested, unlocking the doors.

"Oh, but you will," Buffy said, climbing in. "Even if I have to drag you out there myself."

"Like you could," Jack scoffed.

"Hello, super powers," Faith said, making her way to the back of the Suburban.

"She has a point," Sam said with a grin.

"Shut up, Carter," Jack said irritably.

Once everyone was in and seatbelts buckled, Jack started the vehicle and headed back to the base. Even though he would vociferously deny it if asked, the night out had been good for his team. He hadn't seen Daniel and Carter smile this much since…. Well, never. Teal'c even managed to look relaxed in a way that only he could do.

It was because of this that he felt it would only be gentlemanly of him to escort them back into the mountain. They had no sooner switched elevators on Level Eleven when an alarm began ringing and a disembodied voice said, "Security team to the gateroom! Security team t…" Then the voice was abruptly cut off.

"Crap," Jack said, pushing the sixteen button.

"What's going on?" Buffy asked, all business.

"I don't know," Jack said. The elevator opened and everyone got off. They followed Jack down the hall. He swiped his I.D. card and they entered a room lined with screens. Through the security feed they could see what was happening in the gateroom.

"Oh my god," Dawn gasped. "Buffy, isn't that a…"

"Fyarl," the slayer finished grimly.

"A what?" Daniel asked.

"Fyarl," Buffy repeated. "It's a demon."


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

"Wait just a second," Jack said, turning to look at them. "Those could just be some sort of alien."

"No, I've sort of dealt with them before so I think I would recognize a Fyarl demon when I see one," Buffy said, her temper flaring.

"It has to be," Dawn agreed, looking at the screen. "It just did that mucous thing."

"Mucous thing?" Sam asked.

"It can paralyze its victims with its mucous," Dawn explained. "It's sort of a thing, but it's also gives a good reason why the message got cut off. The people down there are probably not dead, just paralyzed."

Jack looked at the screens again. There was close to twenty of them on the base now. They had two curled horns on each head with tufty ears and their bodies seemed to be awfully bony. "Are you sure about this?" He skeptically asked. "I mean, they could be aliens," he repeated.

"Does it really matter what they are?" Faith asked. "They're invading, kind of makes this conversation pointless."

"What do you suggest?" Teal'c asked.

"We take them out," Buffy said simply.

"We?" Jack asked, giving her an incredulous look. "There is no we… Well, there is a we, but it's an SG-1 we, not a we that includes the three of you."

"But you don't know what you're up against, we do," Buffy argued.

"You're civilians! We can't let you…"

"Daniel is a civilian and I don't see you stopping him," she said, stepping up to him.

"That's different."

"How?"

"He's a member of my team."

"Sir!" Sam interjected. "Now is not the time."

"Fine, but they aren't coming."

"We are, too."

"Jack, it couldn't hurt," Daniel said hesitantly.

"What?" Jack asked in shock.

"Daniel Jackson has a point. They are capable warriors and will be beneficial in the battle," Teal'c said, his hands clasped behind his back.

"This is mutiny," Jack said, looking at all of them in disbelief.

"We need weapons made out of silver," Buffy said, effortlessly sliding into Slayer mode.

"Silver?" Sam asked.

"It's the only way to kill them," Dawn said.

"We don't exactly carry those kinds of weapons," Jack said in exasperation, hoping that it would deter them.

"But we do," Faith said with a grin. "We need to stop by our rooms."

"You have weapons?" Jack nearly screeched.

"Can we explain later, kill demons now?" Faith asked dryly.

"We should split up, we'll cover more ground. Do you guys have radios handy?" Buffy asked.

Sam opened a cabinet and began passing them out.

"I'll stay here," Dawn offered, taking one of them. "That way I can give you a heads up."

"Good plan, Little D."

"Can't you at least pretend like I'm in charge?" Jack grumbled as the headed out.

"Sure, we'll even let you pick the teams as long as Faith and I are split up," Buffy said, patting him insultingly on the cheek.

"Other than the mucous, is there anything else we should know?" He asked between clenched teeth.

"They're really strong and aren't really the brightest bulb in a string of lights," she said before opening the door and leaving the room.

XXXXXXXXX

"Can I ask you something?" Daniel asked Faith as he and Teal'c followed her down the corridor. They had just split up after retrieving weapons.

"Sure, what's up?" Faith replied. According to Dawn's info they had a little further to go before they reached any of the demons.

"Why were you armed with silver daggers if you were only doing inventory? And why did the SFs not find them?"

"I believe that's two questions, Dr. J. But since you asked so nicely, I'll answer both. B and I never go out weaponless, force of habit. And your guys didn't find them because you didn't search us. Big no-no," she tsked.

"They did not?" Teal'c curiously asked.

"Nope. They saw three harmless girls in civilian clothing. What would make them think _we_ would be carrying anything? And really, Dr. J, you and Sam just kind of moved us along. There never really was time for a search."

"You said that you and Buffy always carry weapons. Why?" Daniel asked, his cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment. "I thought vampires only came out at night."

"They do, but demons don't. And vampires just can't walk in the sun, but that doesn't mean they can't wander around during the day. It's amazing how much access you have to a city by the sewer system."

"You've got one just around the corner," said Dawn's voice over the radio.

"Just one?" Faith asked.

"Just the one."

"Why don't the two of you just stay back for this one," Faith said, before charging down the hall and around the corner.

Teal'c and Daniel chased her to help, but realized they weren't needed when they came around the corner and saw Faith pulling her dagger out of the thing's chest.

"One down," she said with a grin. "Shall we?" She asked, gesturing down the hallway.

XXXXXXXX

"Jack, is there a particular reason why you won't let me lead, or are you just being an ass?" Buffy grumbled from her position in the middle.

"Need I remind you that you are a civilian here?"

"Okay, that argument is so old. Can you please find a new one? You've seen me fight, you know I can do this."

"Yes, but it would come down on my hide if something should happen to you. Since you are a _civilian_," he said, putting extra emphasis on the last word.

"Technically not a civilian in your world since I don't really exist here," she pointed out.

"It still doesn't matter," he argued.

"You are such a pain in the ass."

Sam was glad of her rear guard position. It meant that Jack and Buffy couldn't see her grinning at their banter. This was way more amusing than watching Jack and Daniel go at it.

The radio on Jack's vest crackled to life. "Buffy, there're three up ahead and it looks like they just took out two of those soldier guys."

"Thank you, Dawn," Jack replied, trying to at least make a show of being in control. He peeked around the corner and saw the SFs lying on the ground. Then as he moved his entire body, he squeezed the trigger on his MP5, bringing it to life. The shots ricocheted off the demons and they turned around to face their attacker.

"Told you," Buffy sing-songed as she pushed her way past him and he lowered his gun. "Only silver will do it."

"Buffy, I don't think…" Jack trailed off as she made a running tackle for the closest demon. Taking her dagger out, she plunged it into the thing's neck causing green blood to spill out onto the SGC floor.

Another demon picked Buffy up off its fallen comrade and flung her into the wall hard enough to cause a small crack in the concrete.

"Damn it," Jack muttered as he dashed in himself to tackle the offending demon.

Because the quarters were so cramped, Sam hung back. She didn't want to accidentally shoot Jack or Buffy. Not that the gun was effective, but it could buy enough of a distraction. "Buffy!" She called out as the last demon raced towards the fallen slayer.

At the last possible moment, Buffy jumped up and flung the door she had been lying next to open. The Fyarl hit it with a loud bang and Sam winced when she saw the dent from the impact on the other side. Buffy pulled the door back and then slammed it into the demon again, finally succeeding in stunning it. That gave her an opportunity to shove her dagger into its chest.

As she pulled it out, she yelled, "Jack, duck!" Without looking, she threw the dagger.

Jack stood back up and grimaced as he saw the hilt of the dagger sticking out from between the demon's eyes. After pulling it out, he whirled on Buffy. "You didn't even look to see if I had ducked."

"I heard you."

"That doesn't count! You should have looked! It could have been the demon who ducked."

"Oh my god, you are such a baby," she said with a shake of her head as she took the dagger from him. She turned and headed down the corridor.

Jack frowned as he realized she was taking point and turned to Sam. "She's going to kill me before Daniel does, I just know it," he said darkly.

XXXXXXXXX

Faith picked the demon up and threw it down the corridor. Then she bent down and held her hand out. "Need a little help there, Dr. J?"

"Thanks," he grunted, as he stood up with her assistance.

She swung around when she heard a strange noise to see Teal'c activate his staff weapon. He aimed at the demon that she had thrown and fired. A bloody wound appeared on the Fyarl's chest and it fell lifelessly to the ground.

"Sweet," Faith said. "Wish we had some of those back home. Could dust a vamp from a distance. It would definitely help in keeping the Watchers and newbies safe." She clicked on her own radio. "Little D, did you see that?"

"That was so cool. Andrew would have died!"

Faith grinned. "Watcher boy would definitely have thought he was in heaven. Pass the word on to B would ya?"

"Okay, but they don't have any of those staff thingies."

"True, but I believe they took a zat'ni'katel," Teal'c said.

"A zatty what?"

"Zat'ni'katel," Teal'c repeated.

"A zat gun," Daniel said at Faith's continued confused look. "Jack renamed it so it was easier to say and remember."

"Colonel boy's even smarter than I thought," Faith said. She turned to Teal'c. "Do you think it'll hurt them?"

"It is possible."

"Little D, tell them to try the zat gun."

"Okay, over and out," Dawn chirped. Faith could almost picture the cheesy grin on the young woman's face.

XXXXXXXXX

"Sir, I think you just pissed him off," Sam said, as she looked at the Fyarl who was charging them despite being hit by the zat.

"Maybe it takes more than one," Jack muttered before shooting it again. This time the demon stumbled slightly as the blue electricity arced over its body. "Stupid bastard," Jack said, shooting it two more times before it finally fell.

"Yeah, that's an effective weapon," Buffy said dryly, giving him a sardonic look. "I always thought ray guns were supposed to be better than that."

"Ha ha, very funny, Summers."

"I'm only saying," Buffy began as she stabbed her silver dagger into the thing's chest, "that I thought ray guns worked better than that. You know kill things, make them disintegrate. I've seen it on the few cheesy sci-fi movies I've been forced to watch over the years."

"And it's not a ray gun, it's a zat gun."

"Ray gun, zat gun – tomato, tomahtoe," she said with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders.

"And why are you stabbing it? It's already dead."

"We're not totally sure about that, are we? You said two hits would kill it and three would make it disappear. I believe you hit it four times before it fell. I can still see the body, Jack." She sighed. "I just don't want to have to worry about it getting up and following us."

"Sir…"

"Not another word, Carter. Not another word."

XXXXXXXX

"Well that was fun," Faith said with a grin after Buffy killed the last demon that was holding the gate room. Both slayers had Fyarl blood all over them.

"Fun? You call that fun?" Jack asked her incredulously.

"Hell, yeah. Gets the blood pumping. Lets you know you're alive." She grinned saucily at Daniel. "Definitely gets you in the mood for other things."

"What other kind of things?" He asked, swallowing a little nervously.

"Faith, how about we satisfy the other H, huh?" Buffy asked.

Jack frowned as he looked back and forth between them. "What's going on?"

"It's the double H theory," Faith said with a smirk. "Slaying always gives me the same feeling."

"And the two H's would be?" Sam asked, curiosity shining in her eyes.

"Hungry and horny," Faith said with a saucy grin.

"Think we could get something to eat in the commissary?" Buffy asked, stepping in front of Faith. The other slayer scowled as her view of Daniel was blocked.

"Ah, sure," Sam said, blushing slightly.

"Good," Buffy said, dragging Faith out of the gateroom and towards the commissary. "Can't believe my luck. Brand new outfit in another dimension and I get demon goo all over it."

"What does horny mean?" Teal'c asked.

Jack gave Daniel an evil look. "Have Danny explain it to ya. He's the linguist after all."

Daniel looked panicked. "Well, it's umm… well…"

"I think you finally broke him," Sam whispered to Jack.


	7. Chapter Six

**A/N:** Real life has been really hectic lately and I'm no longer as far ahead on this fic as I would like. Therefore, I'm going to skip the next update to try and catch myself up. Meaning, this fic will be updated in one month. Sorry.

**Chapter Six**

"Buffy, Faith, and Dawn, I'd like to thank you for your assistance during the alien incursion," General Hammond said to begin the meeting in the briefing room. "Without you, the casualties would have been much higher and we could have lost the base."

"That's what we do every day where we come from," Faith said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Still, I'm curious as to how you knew the correct manner in which to dispatch the aliens," Hammond said, clasping his hands together on top of the table.

"Because they weren't aliens, they were demons," Dawn explained.

"Excuse me? I thought you said they didn't exist in our dimension."

"We could be wrong," Dawn said defensively. "We were assuming that based upon the fact that the Watcher's organization doesn't exist here, but the fact that they came through the gate is pretty interesting. Oh! Maybe your aliens are all just demons. Wouldn't that be cool? Course, it means they had to leave Earth somehow at some point, 'cause you guys do have legends similar to ours which suggests some sort of split at some time…"

"Dawn!" Buffy interrupted. "Think on that later. It might lead you to a way home. But I'm sure the General has more than one question."

"I do, like how you knew silver was the only way to stop them."

"Back during my freshman year of college, Giles, my watcher, was turned into one by an 'old friend' of his. What I know comes from the research we did then," Buffy said.

"So you knew silver would kill him?" Then Jack said in confusion, "I thought you liked him."

"I did, I mean, I do. We just didn't know it was Giles at the time. We thought the demon had eaten him."

"Ah," Jack said, a look of slight confusion still on his face. He decided he'd ask for the full story later on.

"Should we anticpate a retalitory strike?" Hammond asked.

"I'm not sure," Buffy said, scrunching her nose. "Fyarl's are usually foot soldier types and they aren't the brightest. I think someone put them up to this."

"Apophis?" Jack suggested.

"It's possible," Daniel said before elaborating. "They're technically not part of his forces so that wouldn't be breaching the treaty with the Asgard. It's underhanded, but not surprising."

"I concur," Teal'c said. "Apophis would be seeking retribution for our actions on Ne'tu, but is currently busy consolidating his troops. This would provide him with the results he was seeking yet the evidence would not point to him."

"Do you know how they got through the gate in the first place?" Faith asked. "I thought you guys had a way to prevent that."

"We do," Sam said, shifting slightly in the large chair. "We think they waited until the returning team sent the signal before paralyzing them and coming through themselves. At least, that's our guess since we haven't figured out how to get the hardened mucous off the team."

"Someone is definitely behind this then," Buffy said firmly. "That's way too complicated for a typical Fyarl. Even with how many came through the gate, they tend to just get dumber in packs."

"Any suggestions on how to prevent this in the future?"

Buffy looked over at Dawn and Faith. Both of them shook their heads. "Nope, sorry."

"Then I suggest everyone gets some rest. I'll see you tomorrow."

"One more thing," Faith said, causing everyone to sit back down. "I think it's pretty clear that B, Little D, and I are gonna be here for a while. So B has a suggestion."

Buffy sent Faith a scathing look. "Thanks."

"Hey, you're the de facto leader girl, so go for it."

"You did get us a night out," Dawn said cheekily.

"And we saw how well _that_ turned out."

"Ladies," Jack said, clearing his throat.

"Right, the suggestion," Buffy said a bit sheepishly before turning serious. "We'd like to offer our services while we're here."

"Meaning?" Hammond curiously asked.

"We're skilled fighters, as you've seen, and we need to do something to earn our way here. Plus, and most importantly, we're really bored," Buffy finished.

Hammond smiled. He had wondered how long it would take for them to ask. It had to be killing them to just sit around and do nothing while the people around them were fighting the good fight. "I'll start the paperwork today."

Buffy and Faith visibly brightened.

"General, are you sure about this?" Jack asked.

"Positive. I look to you to start on their weapons training," Hammond said as he stood.

Jack looked at him in horror. "Sir!"

"Can I just do translations for now?" Dawn asked. "I'm not really a fighter. I usually only fight during apocalypses."

"Talk to Dr. Jackson. I'm sure he'd appreciate the help."

"It would be great," Daniel said with a grin. "I've got a tablet in my office. Do you want to take a look?"

"Yeah," Dawn said as the two got up to leave.

"Hey, Hammond said to get some rest," Jack pointed out.

"We will, right after I show her the tablet," Daniel said, never stopping.

"Crap. I'm gonna have to drag him out of the office in an hour," Jack grumbled as Sam and Teal'c left as well.

"Guess we're all yours," Buffy said with a grin.

"D'oh."

XXXXXXXXX

Jack scowled as he pressed the button to bring the paper targets back. Buffy and Faith's weapon training was turning out to be a colossal waste of time. Both of the current targets had one hole each in the heart range despite the fact that the girls had hit it with all fifteen shots.

"Could you at least spread them apart a little," he grumbled as he unhooked the targets.

"Sorry?" Buffy said, with a little smile on her lips.

"No, you're not," he shot back.

"Honestly, Jack, it's not that hard to hit a still target," Buffy said. "There might have been a spread if it had actually been moving."

"Yeah, this isn't exactly challenging. Please tell me the other training is tougher than this," Faith nearly begged.

"It gets tougher," he assured her. "You might break a sweat, or even a nail."

"I think he's talkin' about you, B," Faith teased.

"I'll have you know that I rarely break a nail," Buffy sniffed. "Or a sweat."

A wicked look appeared on Faith's face as she slyly said, "Only when you're…"

"Faith," Buffy said warningly.

"Shutting up." Faith said with a smirk directed at her sister slayer. The dark haired slayer looked at Jack. "So, want us to shoot at a farther target?"

"No, 'cause that's as far as the range goes." He gave them a piercing look. "Are you sure you've never used a gun before today?"

"Yeah, but in all fairness, we've shot a crossbow. It's more useful to us than guns," Faith said.

"I didn't even carry one when I was with the Initiative," Buffy added. "I did carry one of their nifty tazers one time, although it wasn't as fun as I thought it would be."

"Why?" Faith asked, having never heard the story before since she was in a coma for a big part of Buffy's stint with the military group.

"It blew up in my hands 'cause of psycho Walsh," Buffy said darkly.

Jack looked at her in confusion. "What did she have to do with it?"

"She rigged it to explode. I was asking too many questions and was making Riley think, so she tried to eliminate me. God forbid the soldiers should start thinking for themselves," she said with a roll of her eyes.

He frowned. No wonder she had held some resentment towards them in the beginning. The more he learned about this Initiative project she and her ex had been involved with, the more he was disgusted about it. Imagine purposely trying to kill one of your own men.

Changing the subject, Jack said, "Let's move on to the next phase." He led them out of the shooting range and to another room that had pairs of weapons laid out on a long table.

"Prezzies? For us? Really, Jack, you shouldn't have," Buffy teased.

He ignored her and said, "We'll start with the 9 mil that you were just shooting. I want you to break it down like you were going to clean it."

The two slayers stepped up to the table and picked up the handgun. As one, they closed their eyes for a moment and then opened them. Their hands moved in a blur and less than thirty seconds later the guns laid in pieces.

Jack blinked a few times and then said, "Put them back together."

They grinned and quickly reassembled them.

"Fine, smarty pants. Do the MP-5 next."

Once again they briefly closed their eyes when they picked the weapon up. Less than a minute later they were also in pieces.

"Is this supposed to be hard?" Faith asked Buffy.

"I think so," she replied, taking in Jack's shocked expression.

"Okay, wait just a minute. I can see you knowing how to take the Beretta apart because of TV and movies, plus you have the speed thing. But how in the hell did you know how to do that to an MP-5?" He asked, his face slightly flushed.

"It's part of the slayer package," Faith said.

"What good would the Powers weapon be if she didn't have the instincts to use every weapon put in her hands?" Buffy added.

"You mean you've been humoring me through all of this?" He asked.

"Pretty much," Faith said.

"Besides, we need written proof that we can use the weapons," Buffy said with a shrug. "Would you have believed us if we had just told you?"

"Probably not," he grudgingly admitted. He gave them a wicked grin. "Just means we get to move to the scenario training."

"Do we get to hit things?" Faith asked brightly.

"If you're lucky."

"Kick ass."

XXXXXXXX

Dawn looked up from the Sumerian tablet she was translating. Daniel had another desk moved into his office until they could clean out an area for her. "How many languages do you speak?" She asked suddenly.

Daniel pushed his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose from where they had slid down. "Umm, twenty-three. No, it's twenty-five now since I've learned Goa'uld and Ancient. Why?"

"Just wondering. Wow, twenty-four. I thought it was impressive that Willow knows fifteen. Granted half of those are demonic and her Latin sucks but wow."

"How many do you speak?" He asked.

"Twelve."

"That's impressive for someone as young as you."

"Languages just speak to me – pardon the pun. I mean, it's like I start to study one and suddenly it opens up to me. Willow thinks it has something to do with my keyne – keen abilities," she said, giving him a covert look to see if he caught her slip.

"What does being a witch have to do with linguistic ability?" He asked with a small frown.

She relaxed slightly when she realized he didn't, but now she was forced to create an answer. "She said it's different for everyone. My abilities aren't the greatest with spells, but I'm just good with languages."

"Oh," he said in a tone that said he wasn't completely sure he understood.

"Tara had been very good with defensive spells because of her personality. Willow's were more offensive because of a dark streak she has running through her…"

"And languages, too?" He interrupted.

"Actually, no. Willow's just smart. She learned several before she even started dabbling in magic. So that's au naturel."

"It's still pretty interesting," he said, returning to his own tablet.

The two worked in silence for fifteen minutes before Dawn spoke up again. "What do you know about the people who built the stargates?"

"Not much, I'm afraid," Daniel replied, looking up once again. "The Ancients were part of an Alliance with three other races – the Asgard, the Nox, and the Furlings. Like any other ancient civilization they left behind remnants besides just the stargates. Ruins scattered over planets, odd devices here and there. Jack had a repository of all of their knowledge downloaded into his brain once."

"Sounds like fun," Dawn said with a grimace.

"Nearly killed him actually. I got to hear their native language as the knowledge seeped into his brain and caused him to speak it. It started as just a word here and there but eventually it was all he could speak."

Dawn's eyes widened. "How much did you learn?"

"A bit. It's very similar to Latin."

"I'm really good at Latin. Do you think I could give it a try?" She asked, hoping that her keyness would help her unlock the language.

"Why?" He asked, looking curiously at her.

"I've got a hunch that maybe your Ancients were responsible for getting the demons off Earth." She stood and began pacing as she worked the theory out. "Which would be why there is no slayer line here – because there was no need. Maybe our Ancients couldn't do that so they created the slayer line – they could've been the Shadow Men that Buffy saw in that vision thing. Either way…"

"They could have knowledge written somewhere about how to get you back home," he said, catching on.

"It could be a false lead, but it's worth a shot don't you think?" She was taken slightly aback by his brilliant smile.

"I'll gather up all of my work on it for you," he replied.

"Whoo hoo!"

XXXXXXX

Buffy set her tray on the table before taking a seat. "Taking a break from the physics?" She asked.

Sam smiled at her. "If I don't surface occasionally the Colonel hunts me down and drags me here. I've learned that it's just easier to take breaks on my own and make sure the people see me so he'll leave me be. Although sometimes I forget."

"Xander always brought us doughnuts and would enforce the breaks," Buffy said, her eyes wistful.

"You must miss them."

"Yeah, but we'll get back eventually."

"How is your training going?" Sam asked, seeing Buffy retreating mentally.

"Not bad," the blonde slayer said. "We've passed the weapons section and most of the scenario stuff. I think Jack said there was only one more. Then he said you get to give us a crash course in alien technology. That will be our hardest part to pass."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked before taking a bite of her blue Jell-O.

Buffy shrugged. "The fighting, tactics, and weapons stuff comes naturally to us because we're slayers. But technology isn't really our strong suit."

"You'll be fine," Sam assured her. She smiled at Buffy's dubious look. "Trust me. It's mostly how to dial the gate, how to open doors – the easy stuff. The Colonel can even pass the test."

"Really? Cool," Buffy replied, brightening slightly. "We should have another night out after Faith and I get cleared. Only this time we'll leave the boys home."

"A girl's night?"

"Yeah. I mean I know you're used to hangin' with the guys and all. Which, by the way, has to be rough."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, her spoon halfway to her mouth.

"Well, you essentially live in a man's world. I mean it's probably better than it was but I remember what it was like at the Initiative, the old beliefs are there under the surface. Worried that if you show any sign of weakness that they'll pounce, prove that you're not worthy of…" Buffy trailed off. She shook herself and looked at Sam. "Sorry, didn't mean to… sorry."

"It's okay," Sam said, putting her spoon down. "It must be hard being different."

"Sometimes," Buffy said with a sigh. "It's kind of nice to not be the Champion here. I almost feel normal… So girl's night?"

"Sounds like fun," Sam said with a grin. "Would it be alright to invite a friend?"

"As long as she's a… well, a she."

Sam grinned. "She is. It's Janet Fraiser."

"The doctor?" Buffy asked a little skeptically.

"Sure, she's fun. Plus, she needs a night out, too."

"Bring her along then. But no needles allowed."


End file.
